Among the countless announcements in the Intel Developer Forum regarding Moblin was a joint press release from Intel and Microsoft. In it is announced that Microsoft wants to port Silverlight to Moblin.

The joint Microsoft-Intel press release actually doesn't contain much of particular interest. Intel describes a previously known development effort for Atom applications on mobile devices, in which Microsoft is also participating, that wants to provide software for Intel's supported platforms (Windows 7 and Moblin). Now Silverlight 3 comes into the picture as well.

However, reading through the press release, one particular sentence stands out: "We see [the Silverlight to Moblin port] as a clear extension of our current efforts with Novell where we are building an open source implementation of Silverlight called 'Moonlight' that is targeted at the broad range of Linux-based PCs."

All indications are that Microsoft plans not so much to bring Silverlight 3 support via the free Moonlight to Moblin, but to work on their own port from Silverlight to Moblin.

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Mono developer and Novell employee Miquel de Icaza reported on the progress being made by Moonlight at the XML 2007 Conference in Boston. Moonlight is the Linux variant of Microsoft’s Silverlight solution.

Comments

another way to fragment efforts rather than support progress

Bob

Starting a Moonlight clone designed to only work with Moblin is the epitome of inefficiency and fragmentation, but consistent with the enduring MS philosophy of creating intentional conflicts at consumers expense. Why take the logical and theoretically most productive approach when they can opt for a disruptive path? It seems all MS plans are designed to corrupt user experiences with all but their own products.

Silverlight just needs to leave

Slice

Why not just support Linux so I can watch Netflix?

Funny News

tuxman

What a waste of time this would be, Why not just help some more with Moonlight? they speak as if Moblin is not Linux, this is a really funny piece of news.